Career Preparation

Although you may think you are too young to worry about your future career, it is important that you start thinking about your life after high school right now so that you can take the steps necessary to in any career you may choose. Some of these steps include choosing the right high school, enrolling in the necessary courses, earning good grades, participating in programs, getting work experience and building a resume. It can seem overwhelming trying to choose a career before you complete high school, but always keep in mind that it is never too late to change your career path and no one says you have to decide now.

There are lots of different factors that go into choosing a career path. To determine the occupation you want to enter you need to consider your interests, how long you want to be in school, how much money you want to make, the type of work you want to do, the potential for job growth and job trends in the industry – sounds like a lot, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. However the sooner you begin to think about potential careers, the more chances you will have to explore them before making major decisions. Luckily, there are lots of tools, programs and people available to you to help decide what you want to do.

Discover Yourself

What do you like doing?

What do you want to do?

When you think ahead ten years, what do you see yourself doing?

When you are a teenager, it’s hard to get a handle on those questions. As a CPS student, you can use What’s Next Illinois to help figure it out. Each day you make many decisions – what to wear, who to hang out with, how to spend your time after school. Some of the decisions you make today can affect you for the rest of your life. That’s why it is important to learn how to make good decisions.

Researching Careers

Once you have figured out the things you like to do and the things you do well, you can begin exploring careers that incorporate your interests and skills as well as the education needed, average salary earned, potential job openings.

Make A Plan

What does it take to get where you want to go? Include education after high school in your plan from the beginning, since it is a necessity for most well-paying jobs. But leave yourself plenty of space and time to change your mind about specific career paths. Once you have a plan, work the plan. Do the steps along the way each year to keep on track toward graduation and higher education.